The Game
by Rinaya Faeleth
Summary: In the game of love, the one who hunts is often the hunted.


She whirled around, trying to follow the haunting whisper that flitted through the trees. _He's here. I know it…_ Searching the dense wood around her, she tried to spy him out, desperately needing to see any sign of his presence. _Come on, show yourself. Stop playing games with me. We've done this already._ In a flash, she saw something. A blue, filmy shirt fluttered in the faint breeze.

Then, it was gone.

Not sure if her eyes were deceiving her, she dashed toward the spot where he might be. Straining her eyes for any sign, she clasped a tree trunk, feeling the wood press against her palm. "At least that's real," she whispered into the darkness. "Why won't you reveal yourself? Why are you hiding?" Her voice could hardly be heard above the rising wind, making the trees shake and tremble. It was almost as if they were dancing, playing the game with them.

There! She heard it again. A faint voice, taunting her on the shifting wind, spinning around her in ever-increasing circles. She spun with it, wanting him to be there. Her white dress created an ethereal aura around her, spinning into the wind. A twig snapped on her left. Stopping in her tracks, she searched the darkness vainly. Behind her, she heard another snap. _That was no twig_, she thought frantically. _That sounds like… a fire!_ Whipping around, she gazed into what was fast becoming a blazing inferno. It started with three small twigs on the ground, but grew as if with its own nature. Her eyes wide with fear, she simply turned… and ran.

She ran until she was breathless and could not make her feet move another inch. She threw herself against a tree, willing her lungs to work. She saw the fire moving toward her, growing with every foot of wood fuel it consumed. It raged forward like a living thing. Instead of the whispered song on the breeze, this fire screamed and shouted at her. Shutting her eyes and clasping her ears with her hands, she turned again, trying to escape.

Before she could clear three feet, she stumbled and fell. The fire was almost upon her, licking her outstretched feet with its clawing flames. The smoke around her was thick; its cloying scent was intoxicating. Unable to move or breathe, she curled into the ground, willing it to swallow her before the fire did. With her last breath, she whispered his name: "Nowyn." Surrendering herself to the flame, she gave one last try. _Nowyn… Save me…_

Just as the fire was enveloping her, it seemed to falter, to recede. Shocked, she summoned both her courage and her strength to open her eyes. _No, it can't be!_ The fire seemed to be eating itself! It drew away from her, from the ground, from the very trees around her. The more amazing thing was that wherever the fire had touched seemed to be not only restored, but rejuvenated. Every single thing that was covered by the flames was more vibrant, more alive than it had been before its encounter with the inferno. The fire seemed to be drawn into itself, leaving a faint trace of heat where it had been.

After a moment, she could see the soft outline of a figure within the fire. It was moving toward her, walking as if on top of the flames! Unable to tear her eyes away, she lay trembling on the ground. As the fire continued to consume itself, she began to see that the flames were actually being enveloped into this figure, this ghost-like shape that steadily advanced upon her. It was as if the fire was stalking her, wrapping itself up in a physical form. The closer it got to her, the more it was encased in a body.

As the blaze approached, she could make out limbs, fingers, hair, even clothing. The face was still masked in heat and flame. Cowering in awe, she drew her hands and feet closer to her body, trying to shield herself from this fire-shrouded figure. Finally, it seemed as if there was only a being coming toward her, created completely out of the most powerful fire and intense heat. He (for she could now tell that it was indeed a male) approached her smoothly, powerfully, as a hunter approaching his prey. As he was almost upon her, she threw her hands over her face, yielding to her imminent fate.

But nothing came.

She could hear the leaves softly crunching around her, and then there was nothing. Nothing but a slight breeze that played with the folds of her dress, the ends of her hair. Through the crack between her arms, she could faintly see the leaves being swirled around her, gently touching her exposed skin. The breeze continued to caress her, playfully tickling as it passed by. She opened her eyes and slowly lowered her arms, painfully aware of someone else's eyes gazing at her.

First, she saw the boots, so shiny that she thought she was looking at a mirror. As her eyes rose with her courage, she noticed black slacks, form-fitting but not restrictive. Her eyes drifted up to the shirt, billowing in the wind like a midnight sea. Through the opening in the neck, she could make out the faint outline of hardened muscle, a sign of the extreme power contained in that lithe form. Even the neck and chin spoke of the fluid rigidity that comprised this man. A smirk danced around his mouth, almost revealing a secret contained in the corners. The nose was regal, without a single blemish. Then, the eyes. Oh, those eyes that she had grown to love over the past three months. Those eyes that never left her mind, that drew her in and enveloped her in depths of sweet bliss. "Nowyn," she breathed.

He smiled knowingly and raised a perfect hand to gently caress her cheek. His hand drifted down her arm, taking her own hand in his. Everywhere he touched, her skin burned faintly. He tugged on her hand, helping her to rise to her feet. Laughing, he removed a leaf from her hair, softly stroking her cheek. She pressed his hand to her face, turning slightly to kiss it. The twinkle in his eyes lifted her spirits. The fear that surrounded her before was completely overtaken by this fiery love, emanating from the very essence of the fae standing before her. His other hand moved to her waist, pulling her closer to him.

The fire from his skin mingled with the soft breeze around her, creating a circle of elements that moved them even closer together. As she drank in the love from those emerald eyes, she wished for the hundredth time that this moment would never end. As he brought her face up to meet his, Hanna thought to herself, _This is my favorite part of the game._


End file.
